🌿 RelaxedLong weekend · from Sacramento, CA

Clear Lake & Lake County — California's Oldest Lake, Emerging Wineries & Geothermal Spas

Two and a half hours northwest of Sacramento, beyond the Napa ridgeline in the quiet of Lake County, lies Clear Lake — the largest natural freshwater lake wholly within California and, at nearly half a million years old, one of the oldest lakes in North America. This unhurried three-day escape trades crowds and price tags for wide blue water, some of the highest-altitude and most highly regarded wine country you've never heard of, and the volcanic country's geothermal springs. Day one settles onto the Lakeport shore and its emerging wineries; day two ventures to the spring-fed Blue Lakes, the birds of Anderson Marsh, and a long soak at a natural hot spring; day three wanders the lavender fields of Kelseyville beneath dormant Mount Konocti before the drive home. It's a relaxed, water-and-vine weekend in one of the last uncrowded corners of Northern California wine country.

Day 1 — Clear Lake shore & Lakeport wineriesDay 2 — Blue Lakes, Anderson Marsh & geothermal spasDay 3 — Kelseyville lavender & Mount Konocti

Day 1 — Lakeport, CA

🚗 2 hr 30 min driving📍 5 stops

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Morning

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Drive

Sacramento, CA → Lakeport, CA

2 hr 30 min8:00 AM → 10:30 AM

Library Park & the Lakeport Waterfront

★ 4.5

Lakeport's grassy Library Park runs right down to the water in the heart of the old county-seat town, with a swimming beach, a fishing pier, and a bandstand shaded by tall trees — the ideal place to first take in the sheer size of Clear Lake. Across the water rises the unmistakable dome of Mount Konocti, the dormant volcano that shaped this whole basin. Stroll the shoreline path, watch the pelicans and grebes work the shallows, and let the drive fall away. The lake is famously good bass water, and there's usually a boat or two easing out from the pier.

10:30 AM📍 See location

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Lunch

Historic Downtown Lakeport

★ 4.6

A block up from the water, Lakeport's Main Street is a genuine small-town county seat, anchored by the columned 1871 courthouse that now houses the Historic Courthouse Museum. Antique shops, a soda fountain, tasting rooms, and family cafes line the tidy old storefronts, all easy to explore on foot. It's an unhurried, uncommercial gold-country-meets-lakeside downtown that rewards a slow wander. Pop into the museum for the deep history of the lake and its native Pomo people.

11:30 AM📍 See location

🍽️ Lunch12:30 PM

Park Place Restaurant, Lakeport

Overlooking Library Park and the lakefront, Park Place is a longtime Lakeport favorite serving fresh pasta, wood-fired dishes, and local-produce plates in a relaxed room with a view of the water. It's the natural spot for a first lakeside lunch, close to everything and well-matched to a glass of Lake County wine. Ask for a table by the windows. The patio is a fine perch on a warm afternoon.

★ 4.4$$restaurant📍 Maps →

2 options · tap to switch

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Afternoon

Six Sigma Ranch & Lakeport-Area Wineries

★ 4.9

Lake County's high elevation, volcanic red soils, and famously clean air produce some of California's most vivid, high-acid Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet — and almost nobody has discovered it yet. Spend the afternoon at one or two of the area's welcoming estates: Six Sigma Ranch offers tastings across a sprawling working cattle-and-wine ranch, while smaller Lakeport-area rooms pour estate reds with lake views and no crowds. Prices and pretension are a fraction of Napa's, one ridge to the south. Call ahead at the ranch, which sits down a long country road and sometimes offers guided vineyard drives.

1:30 PM📍 See location

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Evening

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Clear Lake Lakeside Lodging

For the full effect, book a room or cottage right on the water — Lakeport and nearby Kelseyville have a scattering of lakeside inns, resorts, and vacation rentals with private docks and sunset-facing decks over Clear Lake. Watching the light fade behind Mount Konocti with a glass of local wine is the essence of the trip. Several places have their own beaches and boat rentals for the morning. Standard motels in Lakeport offer a budget fallback if the waterfront places are full; book ahead in summer when the bass tournaments fill rooms.

Day 2 — Blue Lakes & Lower Lake, CA

🚗 1 hr 30 min driving📍 5 stops

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Morning

🚗

Drive

Lakeport, CA → Blue Lakes, CA

20 min8:00 AM → 8:20 AM

The Blue Lakes

★ 4.5

A short drive northwest of Clear Lake, the twin spring-fed Blue Lakes are a complete change of scale and mood — small, deep, and startlingly clear, tucked into a narrow forested canyon far quieter than the big lake. Fed by underground springs rather than runoff, they stay cool and clean, prized by kayakers, swimmers, and anglers who want calm water and pines instead of open expanse. Rent a kayak or paddleboard from one of the little lakeside resorts, or simply find a shady bank and do nothing. It's one of Lake County's loveliest hidden corners.

8:20 AM📍 See location

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Lunch

Blue Lakes Lodge Lunch

★ 4.1

One of the small resorts along the Blue Lakes keeps a lakeside restaurant and deck right over the water — an easy, scenic lunch of burgers, sandwiches, and cold drinks between paddles. There's nothing fussy about it; the draw is the view straight down the clear little lake and the pines all around. Take a table on the deck and let lunch stretch out. Bring a swimsuit for a dip afterward.

9:20 AM📍 See location

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Afternoon

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Drive

Blue Lakes, CA → Anderson Marsh State Historic Park

40 min12:00 PM → 12:40 PM

Anderson Marsh State Historic Park

★ 4.3

At the lake's southern end, Anderson Marsh protects a rich wetland and one of the most significant archaeological areas in the region — evidence of Pomo settlement here stretches back some 10,000 years. Flat, easy trails cross oak savanna and tule marsh alive with herons, egrets, ospreys, and, in winter, huge flocks of migrating waterfowl. A restored 1850s ranch house and reconstructed Pomo tule dwellings tell the human story of the marsh. It's a peaceful, birdy, wide-open walk and a gentle contrast to the water sports of the morning. Bring binoculars and bug spray in the warm months.

12:40 PM📍 See location

Lake County Geothermal Hot Springs Soak

★ 4.5

Lake County sits atop one of the most active geothermal fields in the world — The Geysers — and the volcanic ground gives up naturally heated mineral water at several spots around the basin. Cap the afternoon with a long soak: historic resorts and day-use spas in the area channel the warm springs into pools and tubs where you can ease muscles and watch the light go long over the hills. It's the most relaxing possible way to close the middle day of the trip. Call ahead, as some springs are appointment-only or seasonal.

1:40 PM📍 See location

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Evening

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Drive

Lower Lake area, CA → Clear Lake lodging

30 min5:00 PM → 5:30 PM

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Second Night on Clear Lake

Return to your lakeside base for a second night on Clear Lake, or shift to a Kelseyville-area inn to shorten the next morning's drive to the lavender fields and Mount Konocti. Either way, the reward is another sunset over the water and Konocti's dark dome — dinner is easy to find in Kelseyville or Lakeport, both a short hop away. A quiet evening on a dock or deck is the trip's signature pleasure. Reconfirm any lodging change made mid-trip to avoid surprises.

Day 3 — Kelseyville & Mount Konocti, CA

🚗 2 hr 55 min driving📍 3 stops

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Morning

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Drive

Clear Lake lodging → Kelseyville, CA

20 min8:00 AM → 8:20 AM

Kelseyville Lavender Fields & Village

★ 4.5

The tidy village of Kelseyville, set among pear orchards and vineyards beneath Mount Konocti, is the prettiest of Lake County's small towns — a walkable Main Street of restored storefronts, tasting rooms, and antique shops. Just outside town, small lavender farms open their fragrant purple rows to visitors in early summer, when the fields hum with bees and the whole valley smells of the harvest. Wander the rows, pick up lavender products and local olive oil, and enjoy the village's unhurried charm. Bloom peaks roughly in June and July; call ahead to confirm the fields are open.

8:20 AM📍 See location

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Lunch

Studebaker Coffee & Kelseyville Cafes

★ 4.5

Kelseyville's Main Street has a handful of well-loved cafes and a saloon-turned-restaurant or two, serving fresh, local-leaning breakfast and lunch in easygoing rooms. It's the natural spot for a final Lake County meal before the drive south — coffee, a hearty plate, and a last look at the village. Grab something for the road too. The pace here is exactly as slow as the rest of the county.

9:20 AM📍 See location

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Afternoon

Mount Konocti County Park Overlook

★ 4.7

Rising more than 4,300 feet straight out of the lake, Mount Konocti is the dormant volcano that defines Clear Lake and holds deep spiritual significance for the Pomo people. Its county park offers everything from a short drive or stroll to a viewpoint over the whole lake basin, to a longer hike up the mountain's flanks for a sweeping summit panorama across the water to the Mayacamas. Even a brief stop delivers the definitive last view of the trip — the vast old lake spread out below. Check park hours and road access before you go, as the upper gate is sometimes closed; then it's time to point the car toward home.

12:00 PM📍 See location

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Evening

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Drive

Kelseyville, CA → Sacramento, CA

2 hr 35 min5:00 PM → 7:35 PM

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